Jack McCaffery is the lead sports columnist for the Daily Times and delcotimes.com. He has spent several decades covering everything from the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and Sixers, to college hoops, to high school sports in Delco.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

GENERALLY STRONG MANAGING

In one day of franchise upheaval last summer, Paul Holmgren traded popular Flyers Jeff Carter and Mike Richards.

In return, he acquired Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek and some financial room to commit long (long, long, long, long) term to Ilya Bryzgalov.

For that haul, the Flyers are 1-0 in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, as Schenn was the No. 1 star in a 4-3 overtime victory Wednesday in Pittsburgh, Bryzgalov as fine in goal, Simmonds was everyplace and Voracek scored the game-winner.

Genius?

"I've learned over time that it doesn't make any sense to look back," Holmgren said. "Mike and Jeff are now together in Los Angeles and I'm sure they are going to have some success there. But we're happy with the guys we got back and are looking for good things."

Check out my column about the sleepless night Holmgren spent before trading Carter and Richards in the Daily Times Friday and, as always, on delcotimes.com